Third-rail cleaner.



E. F. HORSTMANN. THIRD RAIL CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. a, 1913.

1,1 12,616. Patented 001;,6, 1914.

EDV/'ARD FRED HORSTMANN, OF AURORA, ILLINOS.

THIRD-RAIL CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (Pct. 6, 1914.

Application filed November 3, 1913. Serial No. 798,898.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. Honsfr- MANN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Aurora, county of Kane, and State of illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Third-Rail Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cleaners for third rails of electrical railways and more particularly to such devices which are adapted to remove ice and sleet from the third rails of such railways.

The object of this improvement is to provide a simple and effective device of this character.

@ther objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a car truck on a track and equipped with a track cleaner embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged bottom view of the track cleaner, Fig. 3 is a section of the same taken on the line in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the lines cut by the cutter wheels after all of them have passed over a surface.

Referring to the drawings, a car truck 6 of ordinary construction is mounted on a conventional track 7. The track 7 is provided with a third rail S mounted on insulators 9. The truck 6 carries a conductor shoe 10 of ordinary construction and a conductor wire 11 leads from the conductor shoe 10 to the electrical circuit of the car, not shown. rt the forward end of the truck 6 is an ice cr sleet remover which forms the subject of this invention.

The preier ed form of construction of my device comprises a bracket 12 secured to the truck 6, and secured to the lower side of the bracket 12 is a frame comprising a member 13 which is secured to the bracket 12 by means of bolts 14 and insulated therefrom by means of an insulating strip 15. The lower portion of the frame section 16 is provided with laterally extending bolts 17 which engage slots 18 in the frame portion ice, or other substance.

13., Between the portions 18 and 16 of said frame are provided compression springs 19 adapted to normally press the frame section 16 downwardly toward the third rail 8.

At one end of the frame section 16 is mounted three cutter wheels 20, 21 and'22, each of which is ournaled in a bearing busl1- ing 23 of a suitable bearing material and such bearing bushing is secured inthe frame sect-ion 16. The teeth on the wheel 2O are spiral in form and the teeth on the wheel 22 are also of spiral form but disposed in a different direction from the teeth on the wheel 20, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. v The teeth on the wheel 21are circular and extend around said wheel. The cutters en said wheels are disposed in such manners as to cut lines as represented by the diagrammatic view in Fig. 5 upon passing over a sheet of Cutting the ice or other substance into small pieces, such as indicated between the lines in Fig. 5, effectively breaks the small particles of ice loose from the third rail, making it easy for a brush to remove the same from the rail. tmmediately following said cutter wheels is a brush 24. rlhe brush 24 is mounted for vertical movement in the guides 25, the latter being secured to the frame section 16, substantially as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. Across the upper side of the brush 24 and secured to the guides 25 are plates 26. In the plates 26 are mounted screws 27 adapted to rotate in said plates but locked against longitudinal movement therein. The lower ends of the screws 27 are threaded in the brush 24, so that, upon turning said screws, the brush 24 will be moved vertically in its guide. rlhe purpose of adjusting the brush vertically is to provide a means for adjust-k ing the brush downwardly as the bottom of the brush wears off' through friction with the rail S. The electrical conductor 28 is connected with one end of the frame portion 16 and connected with conductor 11 and adapted to assist in making an electrical connection between the electrical circuit in the car and the third rail S.

While 1 have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. l, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but

desire to avail inyeeif of snob variations and inodioations as Colne Within tbe Scope of tbe appended Claim.

"Im/*ing described iny invention what i claim as new and desire to Secure by Letters Patent is:

A rail cleaner comprising a spring pressed freine; three spaced parallel Cutter Wheels mounted in Said frame, the cutters on one Wheel being disposed spii'ally thereon, the cutters on the second wheel being circular and disposed. around Said second mentioned Wheel, and tbe cutters on the third Wheel being Spiral and in a diifeient direction from those on said iiet mentioned wheel; 'vertical 15 guides n said freine; a brush mounted in said Vertical guides; and means for adjusting said brush in said guide, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof have Signed my 20 naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDVARD FRED HORSTlviANN.

Vtneseee:

JoHN L. BALFOUR, Emme L. Simi.

Copies of this patent may bel obtained for ve cents each, by adriessing the Commissioner of ljatents,

Washington, D. C. 

